Tropic Thunder Review

Overall 4.00 of 5 view all 31 reviews

MikeMaroon
Chattanooga, TN

A movie playing a movie disguised as another movie

movie buff, Lover of quirky, unique films

Pros

good action AND comedy, A-List cast, Many laugh out loud moments

Cons

Some insider jokes, Some may not like the non-PC humor, some slow spots

AUG

2008

Tropic Thunder —

I'm thinking Ben Stiller was sitting on the couch one day, watching Apocalypse Now with Blazing Saddles playing on his PiP and got the idea for Tropic Thunder. His new action comedy is about a bunch of buffoons filming a Vietnam war action flick and contains decidedly UN-politically correct humor.

Let me start out by saying this is a much better film than Zoolander but of course most any film is. In fairness, Stiller's humor is a bit off kilter, and he's like Monty Python in that way, you either get him, or you sit there, slack jawed, wondering what the fuss is about. I do get his brand of humor, which is why I found Tropic Thunder funny even though I didn't always feel like I was in on the joke. He was mocking Hollywood and that was good enough for me.

The problem with movies with lots of inside jokes about Hollywood, however, is 99.5% of the population never will experience the entertainment world as this son of Jerry Stiller and Anne Meara has and can't relate. So, to make a film mocking Hollywood that won't be lost on the moviegoer, you have to mock the things they recognize and not so much the insider things only actors and studio exec would get. Mr Stiller does a pretty good job of toeing that line.

Setting up the film with phony film trailers introducing us to the main characters is an amusing and nice touch, setting the tone for the story right away, by parodying overblown film commercials, some of which include the best parts of the movie. We meet first rapper turned actor Alpa Chino (yes, there's a joke there), played by Brandon T. Jackson as he hawks his "Booty Sweat" drink. The trailer for The Fatties: Fart 2 introduces us to Jeff Portnoy (Jack Black), a comedian with literally a one note acting talent and that talent rhymes with "tart". Then we meet Academy Award winning actor Kirk Lazarus(Robert Downey Jr) in the preview for a film titled, Satan's Alley about a monk and sporting a cameo I won't give away here. Finally, we meet action movie star Tugg Speedman (Stiller) whose latest film, Scorcher VI:Global Meltdown, signal's the meltdown of his career.

The plot driving all the satire and parody revolves around these preening, self-absorbed actors filming a Vietnam war movie based on the a book by Vietnam war vet Four Leaf Tayback (Nick Nolte, who apparently has reached the age to play the "curmudgeonly old man"). The rookie director, Damien Cockburn(Steve Coogan), is unable to control his narcissistic super-stars, which results in the film being "a month behind schedule after only five days of shooting" and a multi-million dollar explosion literally going up in smoke because the cameras aren't rolling when it goes off. To make matters worse, Speedman feels insecure working with Oscar winning Lazarus who has taken his method acting a bit too far by undergoing an radical "repigmenting" procedure so that he can play the film's black platoon sergeant. Chino, as the movie's only actual black cast member, is put off by Lazarus "playing" a black man. Add this to Protnoy feeling he has to prove his acting talent runs deeper than flatulence and you have near disaster.

After Cockburn is called out by studio executive Les Grossman ( a wickedly funny turn by an A-List actor you might not immediately recognize), he takes Tayback's suggestion they drop the actors off in the middle of the Vietnam jungle with no handlers in hopes of getting a real "performance" out of them. He hides cameras and rigs explosives throughout the jungle, giving the actors only a map and a scene guide to get them to the helicopter waiting a good ways away.

Unknown to any of them, they have landed near a real camp of heavily armed heroin runners who mistake them for D.E.A agents come to spoil their operation. They capture Speedman, who's life is saved only by the fact they recognize him from the single movie the camp has a copy of, Simple Jack, a box office bomb he made as an attempt to "legitimatize" his acting chops about a mentally disabled farmer who thinks farm animals can understand him. They love this film so, they force him to perform it several times a day, to the point Tugg comes to believe he's actually where he is suppose to be, ala Apocalypse Now.

Tropic Thunder is rife with shots at film studios, movie execs and actors who fail to live in the real world. Black's character is a heroin addict in withdrawal who forces the rest of the guys to tie him to a tree and ignore his requests to be set free. Chino is miffed that he was beaten out for the only black lead in the film by a white dude playing a black dude and this leads to several funny, pointed exchanges between the two characters. Speedman may be the most insecure of them all, and tries to hide that by "taking control" in the jungle so he can lead them to make a great film and to safety.

It is Robert Downey Jr, though, who steals the movie, with his send up of method actors who sometimes go to far. He refuses to break character, even when the gig is so obviously up and the danger becomes real. He plays Sgt Osiris like a character from a 70's war movie, which really annoys Chino. His performance hits just the right note, however, not being offensive because we know he's not making fun of African-Americans, but of the self-absorbed actors who sometimes take their method acting a little too far.

The jungle scenes are interlaced with Hollywood scenes involving the studio exec and Speedman's agent, who has promised him a TiVO as part of his film contract and goes to extraordinary lengths to make sure he gets it. There is also satire involving the heroin runners desire for ransom and Grossman's response to that.

THE BOTTOM LINE

Tropic Thunder is the best of the Ben Stiller directed comedies. It's not perfect but the laughs are plenty and there are some jaw-dropping moments that will have you either burning with anger or rolling in the floor. Several groups representing mentally challenged people have denounced the movie for its use of the "r" word and probably most of the people complaining have not seen the film, since it doesn't portray mentally disabled folks in a bad light, just the actors who play them. There are some great cameos and Stiller does a good job making fun of people who make movies for a living. This is a fine summer comedy not everyone will get, but those who do will love. After all, it is about "a dude playing the dude disguised as another dude". GRADE: B+

Last edited on Aug 16, 2008

Tropic Thunder is recommended by MikeMaroon

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Comments about MikeMaroon’s Review

Thanks for the heads up I'll rent it when it comes out on DVD. Your reviews are great, I love reading them!

Mike, I loved this review! Stiller is a good film maker for comedy. My favorite of his is The Cable Guy. Thanks again, I will see this soon!

Cockburn. That name alone makes me laugh. hee hee Great review! I want to see it.

A Ben Stiller Film I have not seen yet? Thanks for the witty and informative review!

Awwwweeeeesome Review of the Most Awesome Comedy this year!!

Saw this movie Friday night, and we enjoyed it so much we stayed a 2nd time just to hear the audience laugh! We NEVER stay twice in a row!!!

I turned to watch the moviegoers faces and often saw such amazed comedic "shock" at the quirky satire, that they weren't sure in this sickeningly-controlling "PC world", whether it was "okay" for them to laugh. But once they heard others guffawing from the back of the theater they laughed more often and more easily.

More than once, the movie had me scream out loud in surprise or laughter! I rate it 5 stars for that quality alone!

Great detail. Am glad you took the time to share the intricate details of this hilarious comedy!!

And if people don't like the cursing or bad language, then they should stay away from R-rated flicks! That's what the ratings are for. And, you certainly got the explanation correct about the whining complainers about its use of the "r" word. It was clearly demonstrated that the mockery was of the shallow, narcissistic actors and not of the mentally challenged.

I personally loved it when Stiller was running at the end of the film and has to "flick off" his attacker (I won't ruin the plot here) in what I think was the funniest, tear provoking, scene in the movie! And nicely done that Stiller made SURE that you know it was all done in jest by bringing back most of the characters, so as not to inflame any more of the "PC" (as opposed to VC) than he probably already did!! LOL!

Thanks for being so thorough and saying it all so well!

Your comparisons really give perspective. You are a great writer playing a great writer disquised as a great writer:)

Wonderful review! Now I'm curious to see the movie. :)

So this is a new movie? I thought it was made a while ago. DOH.

Great Review!

Yep a DVD event for me too. Too hard to laugh and enjoy with two children attempting to run away from me. Excellent review and details.

I want to see this one but I may wait until it goes to DVD and the price drops...lol I have seen the trailers for it and after reading this I know I want to see it! ;)

I don't see many movies in the theaters, but I'm probably going to go see this one when the Olympics are over.

I just saw Ben Stiller being interviewed by John Stewart about the movie. I saw a clip and it looked pretty funny. I think this is one I will actually pay to see. Very thorough review Mike!